Konecranes' fourth Chinese factory assembles container handlers, reach stackers and heavy forklifts.

Konecranes held an opening ceremony last week to celebrate the extension of its factory in Lingang New City, Shanghai.

The company has invested an undisclosed amount in its fourth Chinese plant to double the production area, increasing its production capacity to 200 forklifts a year. The factory currently assembles container handlers, reach stackers and heavy forklifts.

Spokesman Mikael Wegmüller tells Forkliftaction.com News that Konecranes also implemented actions inthe storage, assembly and testing areas to boost safety and efficiency in assembly.

Guests at the ceremony included representatives from the local authorities of Lingang New City; Matti Heimonen, the Consul General of Finland; Pekka Lundmark, President and CEO of Konecranes Group; and Ryan Flynn, head of Konecranes AsiaPacific.

In his speech, Lundmark highlighted that China's importance to Konecranes was growing all the time. "Thanks to the improved conditions and added manufacturing space in Lingang, we can now take the capacity and quality to the next level."

Konecranes started producing empty container handlers and reach stackers at Lingang in April 2007. Konecranes Port Machinery (Shanghai) Co Ltd in Lingang is now the centre for Konecranes forklift production, sales and technical support in the Asia-Pacific region.

The plant initially produced machines for the domestic market but has since exported to other countries. In China, Konecranes equipment is used in the port industry, forging industry, wind power industry and paper mill industry. Forklifts, reach stackers and container handlers are already operating in almost all Chinese ports including Tianjin Port, Ningbo Port, Dalian Port and Xiamen Port.

Konecranes established its first Shanghai factory in 2002 and a second one in 2005. It also has a rubber-tyred gantry crane production facility in Dalian. It employs about 1,600 people in China; 62 of whom work in Lingang.

In 2009, group sales totaled EUR 1.671 billion (USD2.345 billion). The group has 9,800 employees in 43 countries.